The Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Frog (PATF) was the first 2D animated featured from Disney since 2004's poorly received Home on the Range. After that debacle, Disney decided to shut down that branch of the animation department and focus on its 3D animation. The studio then brought it back with last year's PATF, hoping to recapture the magic of previous Disney classics like Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King.

And when you see PATF, you'll see that all the major elements of its forerunners are there: a fantastic musical lineup, visually interesting animation, and a fairly engaging plot. While watching the film I thought, "why would they have shut down this branch of the animation department?" When it's done right, these Disney films are among the best films in existence, animated or otherwise. It was nice to be reminded that Disney still has great non-computer generated (to an extent) animation in them.

And the film has great moments too. I thought that there was great comedy provided by the supporting players Louis the alligator and Ray the firefly. Both characters brought great energy and life to the movie at moments when it looked like it was about to drag.

For me, there are 2 problems with PATF. The first is the villain, the Shadow Man. I didn't find him particularly scary or villainous in this picture. When you compare him to other great Disney villains (Jafar, Ursula, or Scar), he just does not possess their menace. For me, the film does not achieve its full potential because of the weakness of the Shadow Man. My other problem, which I will acknowledge is difficult to explain, is that this movie is missing a little of the Disney magic. Think about films like Beauty and the Beast or any of the 3 films I mentioned in the opening paragraph. When you finished watching them, you couldn't wait to see them again, sing along to the songs, and own them on video. I didn't get that feeling after watching PATF. My mom said it best; she said that when Disney announces that movies like Aladdin are going back into the vault she feels compelled to run out and buy them before they disappear, but with PATF, she wouldn't feel the same way. That's what I mean when I say there is some magic missing - it doesn't pass the vault test.

This movie is not only notable for the return of Disney's 2D animation, but for being the first Disney animated film to feature an African-American princess. Before I make my next statement, please understand that I do believe that this is an achievement that should be celebrated. Having said that, while I'm happy Disney finally got with the program and did this, it is somewhat sad that it took until 2009 to make that happen. If you mark 1928 as the start of animation (when Steamboat Willie is made), then it took 81 years for Disney to make history. Guess that means I'll have to wait until 2090 for Disney to make an animated feature with a Latina as the princess.

Don't get me wrong - I liked PATF. I just wish Tinkerbell would sprinkle a little more of that Disney magic on it.